


Crossing Lines

by infinitegraces



Series: It Happened Anyway [3]
Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Implied Gadge, Tumblr: promptsinpanem
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-04
Updated: 2015-04-04
Packaged: 2018-03-21 04:39:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3677841
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/infinitegraces/pseuds/infinitegraces
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Maybe you just had to find the right person to cross the lines with. (Written for Prompts in Panem, Round 7, Day 3)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Crossing Lines

**Author's Note:**

> So today, we get to go back in time a little, and even enjoy the company of one mayor's daughter over lunch. Hope you guys enjoy!
> 
> (I couldn't resist having Madge around in at least one part, and paying homage to my favorite non-endgame THG ship, which is Gale/Madge. I'll always be sad that she never made it out of District 12 in the books.)

_(Katniss Everdeen - Age 14)_

She knows their classmates whisper about them. About how weird it is that he prefers _her_ company to that of _his own kind_. The lines are drawn at an early age, and crossing them is almost unheard of. Almost.

Her own parents, of course, didn't care about any invisible lines drawn for them by the people around them. It had cost her mother her birthright, but had brought her a loving husband, whose voice silenced the birds, and two beautiful daughters who were the perfect embodiments of them both.

It's likely that even if Katniss had been more social after her father's death, she still wouldn't have had many friends because of that line. She preferred acquaintanceships to friendships, even if two people had rooted themselves in just by being kind.

She was currently sitting at a table with both of them, eating lunch. Madge Undersee, the mayor's daughter, had brought with her a bowl of sugar sweetened strawberries. When Katniss asked where the perfectly ripe strawberries had come from, Madge said her dad had traded for them, though the way she turned pink told Katniss there was something her friend wasn't telling her. She wasn't one to pry, though, so she kept quiet, turning to the third member of their trio to see what was in the bag he had brought with him.

"So what kind of bread did you bring to share with us today, Peeta?" Madge asked, leaning over the table towards them in anticipation. He usually brought regular bread, but had said something yesterday about a special treat.

"Oh, uh, just cheese buns," he replied. Katniss couldn't help but recall the conversation they'd had just days before. He had asked her what her favorite thing from the bakery was, and had been surprised to learn she'd had one of the comfortingly cheesy cushions before. It had been a long time, before her dad died, but she could still recall how it melted in her mouth.

"They'll go great with the roasted turkey I brought, and with Madge's strawberries," Katniss said, smiling at him warmly. She may have had a bit of a reputation among most of the school as being sullen and taciturn, but that wasn't the case when she was with them or her family.

They divided the meat and bread between them, saving the strawberries for dessert. As they ate, the conversation was light, mainly about their classes. They were all in the same ones, but some involved group projects or partners; some were randomly assigned while others were their choice. For the most part the assigned pairings hadn't been too bad, even if Katniss was paired with the most outgoing person in their year for History of Panem.

"I hate to say this because she's so nice, but sometimes I really wish Delly didn't talk so much," Katniss said. "I guess it's better than if she looked down on me just because of where I live, though."

"I think she hates the divide as much as we do, honestly," Peeta said. He lowered his voice before continuing to speak. "I think she's got a crush on one of the guys that hangs around with Hawthorne. Tobias or Toby? I don't remember his name."

"Thom." Katniss said at the same time as Madge, who blushed even more when Katniss raised her eyebrows in her direction.

"Madge…"

"The strawberries, my father gets them from Gale. You know he goes out there, too, Katniss, you've even hunted with him. We've…hung out a little. He didn't like me at first, but we are actually sort of friends now, I think. He just had these misconceptions about how easy life is for people who don't live in the Seam and I had to set him straight."

"You like him." Katniss didn't even question it. If her ability to make friends was affected by her parentage, it was doubly so with Madge just because her father was Mayor of District Twelve. They had become friends because Katniss didn't care about that, just like Madge didn't care about where Katniss' parents had come from or how they'd gotten together, which was what both of them needed. Most people who tried to be friends with Madge did so thinking about the perks of being close to the mayor, not at all interested in actually being her friend. It didn't hurt that Mrs. Everdeen and Mrs. Undersee had been best friends when they were younger, along with Madge's late aunt, Maysilee, who had died from a severe illness years ago.

"Neither of you can say anything to anyone about this, _especially_ him," Madge pleaded.

"Not a problem, we've never said more than a couple words to one another," Peeta said. He didn't gossip anyway, so that wasn't an issue.

"Katniss, swear to me you won't say a word to him."

"Don't worry. Even when we do hunt together, it's not like there's a lot of talking going on. Don't want to scare away our food before we have a chance to catch it," she joked, smiling reassuringly at Madge.

She pictured the 16-year-old eldest Hawthorne with her friend, sharing strawberries. The idea of his dark hair and grey eyes with Madge's light hair and blue eyes made her think of her parents. And then another couple joined the scenario her head had thought up.

Only this couple's colorings were reversed. The woman had grey eyes and dark hair, which was fixed in a braid remarkably similar to the one Katniss was currently wearing, maybe a little more elaborate. The man had smiling blue eyes and blonde hair that was obviously naturally curly, and a familiarly warm smile as he looked down at the dark haired girl, his arm wrapped around her shoulders—

"Katniss? What are you thinking about over there?" Madge asked with a knowing smile. Katniss felt her cheeks heat as she heard soft chuckles coming from the boy beside her, who she knew would be blushing too if he knew what she'd been picturing just then.

"Crossing lines," she replied, stealing a glance in Peeta's direction, smiling as she grabbed one of the cheese buns, unable to stop the happy little sighs of enjoyment as she ate the savory roll.

Maybe you just had to find the right person to cross the lines with.


End file.
